Apotheon

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 254 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 136 out of 254
  2. Mixed: 95 out of 254
  3. Negative: 23 out of 254

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Trunks252
    Feb 9, 2015
    7
    Hardcore Gamer wrote that Apotheon was a classic case of "style over substance". I can 100% confirm that this is NOT the case. Apotheon is a classic case of style AND substance. Yes, the visuals are very impressive and a fresh compared to most other generic cartoon or stylized games, but it doesn't stop there either. The voice acting is top notch and the greek mythos is a fantasticHardcore Gamer wrote that Apotheon was a classic case of "style over substance". I can 100% confirm that this is NOT the case. Apotheon is a classic case of style AND substance. Yes, the visuals are very impressive and a fresh compared to most other generic cartoon or stylized games, but it doesn't stop there either. The voice acting is top notch and the greek mythos is a fantastic platform for storytelling and exploration, and explore you will. There are many side paths and hidden treasures to be found, and even more side quests to conquer.

    On top of this, the game is a blast to play. The game has a heavy influence from RPGs and Metroid-vania style games. Combat is deep and challenging, and there are dozens of weapons to choose from and a variety of melee, thrown, projectile, and even specialty and rare weapons. There are also many consumables and bombs to help augment your character or strategize against any of the tough boss battles. Upgrades are also plentiful, as you can visit the marketplace to learn new crafting recipes, upgrading weapon proficiencies and armor strength, etc.

    However there are problems that can't be ignored. The game crashes around once an hour, but this isn't a huge deal due to the auto save feature. Some of the stronger enemies can occasionally knock you outside of the map, and barriers prevent you from getting back on track. The UX is strangely designed, and often impossible to use correctly during more intense combat scenarios. Selecting weapons or items mid-combat is nearly impossible without taking damage or pausing. Combat itself can sometimes be akward as well, as weapon hit boxes for certain weapons like the spears are so far out that you can be right next to the enemy and still not hit them.

    All in all, I had to subtract a couple points due to technical flaws, but the bugs can easily be patched. This is worth full price, and definitely worth a free download on PS Plus. 8/10    … Expand
  2. wsacramoni
    Apr 1, 2015
    6
    It’s an OK game and I would NOT recommend adding to your play list. There’s a good game in here somewhere, but in order to find it you’ll have to know where to look, and perhaps turn a blind eye to some significant drawbacks.
  3. AvxrageJoe
    Jun 21, 2015
    6
    Apotheon was a fun game, for a time. The game's story is far too bland. The combat system was something fresh at first, but it also got boring really quick. As a player all you need to do is to kill waves and waves of enemies. By the time I had reached the final level of the game, I just found myself rushing and dodging through the countless enemies, because fighting them was too tedious.Apotheon was a fun game, for a time. The game's story is far too bland. The combat system was something fresh at first, but it also got boring really quick. As a player all you need to do is to kill waves and waves of enemies. By the time I had reached the final level of the game, I just found myself rushing and dodging through the countless enemies, because fighting them was too tedious. The post game is pretty much nonexistent and the game has no replay value. The soundtrack was nice for the most part. So there was at least something good with the game.

    The game was a PSN plus monthly game. And that's all what it should be. I would not pay any extra for a game like this.    … Expand
  4. seriimac
    Aug 8, 2016
    7
    Amazing setting, nice story, but repetitive gameplay. Also, not so comfy controls. The font is too small.
    But the visual style is perfect! Wish to see more games in this setting.
  5. Jarhead335
    Aug 5, 2015
    7
    Apotheon is a few things. It is an incredible visual triumph, for starters. The art style, various level designs, and smooth movement make it quite pleasing on the eye. That's its main selling point. After that, the diverse range of weaponry available in the game, and the great feeling of triumph after overcoming a difficult group of enemies or boss are right up there with Dark Souls onApotheon is a few things. It is an incredible visual triumph, for starters. The art style, various level designs, and smooth movement make it quite pleasing on the eye. That's its main selling point. After that, the diverse range of weaponry available in the game, and the great feeling of triumph after overcoming a difficult group of enemies or boss are right up there with Dark Souls on the, "damn, that was satisfying," scoreboard. Coupled with a pretty engaging score, and the look and feel of Apotheon was both unique and incredibly enjoyable.

    The story, while lacking much context, is pretty straightforward. You must traverse Mount Olympus attempting to save humanity by stealing necessary items from (think Apollo's Lyre), or gaining the help of, many prominent Greek Gods and Goddesses. I felt compelled to continue on my missions, despite their incredible difficulty at times.

    However, it is obvious from the start that this game was developed for a mouse and keyboard. Looking around and remaining fluid in combat are downright painful at times with the twin-sticks. Very often I felt hampered in my ability to spring over enemies, dispatch them quickly beneath a volley of arrows or javelins and move on. Instead, I'd leap over an enemy, take about 10 seconds too long swiveling my view back towards the enemy, and spend another 10 seconds painstakingly attempting to level my reticle with a foe's head, just to miss anyway. Another key drawback is that the platforming mechanics were actually quite...ugly. Having to crouch through floors to descend from one floor to a next is old news in platformers, but for some reason in Apotheon it felt off somehow. I can't quite explain it, but traversing the physical levels themselves sometimes felt tedious and lacked fluidity. I didn't love it. Similarly, the inventory system was pretty strangely integrated and was clunky. On top of that, to craft items one must pause the game fully and scroll down through the menu, which I hated. Why not hotkey a button on the D-Pad or touch pad for the inventory/crafting? Missed the mark there, too.

    Overall its look and feel were good enough to bolster it into the "good" category, and it showed flashes of greatness at times. But on the whole, its various mechanical drawbacks were too much to keep it from feeling like a real gem to me, and while I enjoy playing it and will continue to play it, it's not something I'd consider a classic or must-own.    … Expand
  6. brows76
    Feb 8, 2015
    6
    A very cool and original aestheic is bogged down by a rather dull and lifeless combat system. It controls like a poor early PC game with awkward animations and bland attacks. Still it looks very neat.
  7. Dionysus777
    Feb 23, 2015
    5
    Rereview. I originally gave this game a higher score before i had Time to realize what a technical mess it was. Even after the patch, it still crashes to the dashboard every other time i open a chest! Man this could have been a great game but it ends up being broken like half the other games nowadays. No i didn't get it for free! So i will remember the developer and publisher and neverRereview. I originally gave this game a higher score before i had Time to realize what a technical mess it was. Even after the patch, it still crashes to the dashboard every other time i open a chest! Man this could have been a great game but it ends up being broken like half the other games nowadays. No i didn't get it for free! So i will remember the developer and publisher and never purchase their products again. I truly hope they come up with a standard in this industry atleast for unfinished products. I know there is more people like me that only purchase quality products. I dont know why developers want a bad name? This isn't accepted in any other industry in America. Look at the auto industry and Where their deception led them. Seriously, honestly, people almost every Other game ive purchased in the last decade has had serious technical problems on release. Im 1 broken game from never making a gaming purchase again. This is coming from a 30 year hardcore gamer, nonetheless ethics are still more important to me. I have no respect for anyone or anything that tries to sell snakeoil for medicine. And yes the video game industry has become the best snakeoil salesman around. The worst part is nobody holds them accountable! Sure your free to purchase snakeoil if u want. It should however be labeled as such first so people who respect themselves dont accidentally buy it.… Expand
  8. sparriskrigaren
    Mar 8, 2015
    5
    I really can't get over the poor controls, awful jumping mechanics/physics and the atrocious animations. Art style is nice, but seriously - the animations? They look like s**t.
  9. rodericrinehart
    Feb 7, 2015
    7
    Had a good amount of fun with this Metroidvania. Nice art style, enough variety to keep you entertained and interested. Getting it for free on Playstation Plus was just gravy.
  10. alexmanea
    Feb 28, 2015
    7
    Apotheon kinda reminds me of God of War in terms of story so I found it pretty nice. I really had fun playing this game but there was one thing that pissed me off: it crashed. It happened sometimes when I travelled from a place to another and it was very frustrating. Once it crashed after a boss fight and I had to replay that boss fight. Nevertheless, it was a fun game and I recommend itApotheon kinda reminds me of God of War in terms of story so I found it pretty nice. I really had fun playing this game but there was one thing that pissed me off: it crashed. It happened sometimes when I travelled from a place to another and it was very frustrating. Once it crashed after a boss fight and I had to replay that boss fight. Nevertheless, it was a fun game and I recommend it to everyone that likes a game which requires skill in order to beat.… Expand
  11. drlowdon
    Dec 19, 2016
    6
    With the Gods having abandoned the human race a young warrior, named Nikandreos, awakens to find his village on the verge of being destroyed by raiders. After fighting off the invaders, and saving his village, he sets out to get his revenge on the Gods with the help of Hera (the wife of Zeus).

    In terms of gameplay Apotheon is a 2d action game with some metroidvania elements that I must    With the Gods having abandoned the human race a young warrior, named Nikandreos, awakens to find his village on the verge of being destroyed by raiders. After fighting off the invaders, and saving his village, he sets out to get his revenge on the Gods with the help of Hera (the wife of Zeus).

    In terms of gameplay Apotheon is a 2d action game with some metroidvania elements that I must admit I quite enjoyed, despite the fact that it gets about as much wrong as it gets right. The graphics for instance, which are designed to look like the type of art you'd see on ancient Greek pottery, give the game a fantastically unique look, but when the screen gets crowded or you enter a darker area (such as the section set in Hades) it becomes very difficult to actually see what’s going on. Thankfully this doesn't happen too often but it certainly makes for a frustrating time when it does.

    The combat, which is the primary focus of the game, is an equally mixed bag as. Despite the opportunity to use multiple weapons and tactics, the controls never really feel comfortable even after playing for the eight or so hours it'll take to complete the game and I couldn't help but make unfavourable comparisons to the excellent Salt and Sanctuary in this regard.

    With the crashes and bugs which I've heard other reviews mentions fixed I found Apotheon to be a game that added up to more than the sum of its parts and anyone that has it sitting in their library having picked up with PS+ should give it a try.    … Expand
  12. RedWulfr
    Dec 27, 2015
    6
    If you like the side scrolling lode runner stylish game in a well told historical context this is the game for you. If you dont like games with that exact combination. Its pretty boring.
  13. MASTERWHOPPER
    Feb 21, 2015
    5
    This game just barely has entertainment value for me. The controls are confusing and the combat is not fun. Trying to throw a spear and I end up throwing half my axes and swords? That is not fun. Yes the graphics are stylized but that changes nothing of the fact that the games combat is a mess. At times I did have fun, such as when I was using the bow and arrow to kill baddies coming at meThis game just barely has entertainment value for me. The controls are confusing and the combat is not fun. Trying to throw a spear and I end up throwing half my axes and swords? That is not fun. Yes the graphics are stylized but that changes nothing of the fact that the games combat is a mess. At times I did have fun, such as when I was using the bow and arrow to kill baddies coming at me but that was short lived and replaced by anger from constantly running out of supplies and not being able to buy more because I had no in-game money. This is a side scroller with RPG elements. Do you like open world? Do you like RPG's? Do you like Mario? Then this game might just be for you but it was not for me. I will give it a 5 out of 10 as the game worked on launch, PS4 version, and I encountered few glitches during my play through and that IS something these days. The PC folk might have had a different story though.… Expand
  14. AnonJ
    May 4, 2015
    6
    The story is bland and nonsensical and downright American in essence (even the voice acting sounds directly out of generic movies where the producers obviously want to "set the stage" abroad while doing an all American story). So that aspect of the game is definitely not something to look for. The "divine" place is not very divine at all considering you can and are even a kind ofThe story is bland and nonsensical and downright American in essence (even the voice acting sounds directly out of generic movies where the producers obviously want to "set the stage" abroad while doing an all American story). So that aspect of the game is definitely not something to look for. The "divine" place is not very divine at all considering you can and are even a kind of encouraged to do GTA-style action like killing a guard and waiting for your "wanted level" go down. Seriously? This is Olympus instead of Los Santos? Not to mention people up there just look like ordinary Greek citizens instead of anything godlike. It just ruins the immersion totally. That said the combat and art are decent enough. If you imagine an immersive epic experience, it's definitely not there. If you just want to pass your time and have some fun, it's OK… Expand
  15. dohgeh
    Feb 19, 2015
    6
    Apotheon is a very unique game, that being said Greek games like this have been done a ton. *cough cough* God of War *cough cough*. This game is fun for a while, but the gameplay doesn't differ enough to keep me coming back to play it. The combat is plain and the controls are weird. The game doesn't hold up very well either, it crashed within 30 minutes on my PS4. If you can get overApotheon is a very unique game, that being said Greek games like this have been done a ton. *cough cough* God of War *cough cough*. This game is fun for a while, but the gameplay doesn't differ enough to keep me coming back to play it. The combat is plain and the controls are weird. The game doesn't hold up very well either, it crashed within 30 minutes on my PS4. If you can get over frequent crashes then your fine. Apotheon really doesn't hit the sweet spot for me. I don't really like the setting. If you like Greek storys, you will most likely get something out of this game.… Expand
  16. SuperKing
    Nov 22, 2020
    7
    This is a retro inspired 2d side scroller. The controls get a bit of getting used to due to the animations of the character but once you figure it out its not an issue. The story is based on greek mythology and is good enough to push the game along. I wouldn't say its a "must play" but If you like side scollers, I would grab this if it goes on sale.
  17. TheCornflex
    Feb 1, 2018
    6
    Very interesting and unique, but the presentation could be better. Got it for free so I can't complain but I wouldn't have paid for it.
  18. 18Xq8Rtutehc
    Sep 21, 2020
    6
    This game is a simplified metroidvania experience. I played it searching for the next Salt and Sanctuary, and felt initially disappointed. However, the story is compelling and the game is quite short, with a very enjoyable gameplay loop.
    This game could have been much more if they adopted the concept of newgame+, expanded crafting, builds... maybe in a sequel?

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PS4 Game of 2015
70
#70 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Apr 22, 2015
    60
    Strikingly handsome and fun for a while, Apotheon's scrappy combat and awkward controls spoil its atmosphere, costing in a place among the action-platformer elite. [Apr 2015, p.94]
  2. games(TM)
    Apr 12, 2015
    80
    The positives do make it stand out. [Issue#159, p.112]
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Apr 1, 2015
    85
    The best news about Apotheon is that it does not just look astonishing, but it is also a great, very enjoyable metroidvania game made with passion. [04/2015, p.62]
See all critic reviews »